Grain handling machine



June 1932- 0. E. MILLER GRAIN HANDLING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor flwarZTMz'ZZw;

" flux Allomey June 7, E MlLLER GRAIN HANDLING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenlor 0J0 [W217]? Z2267;

By A llomey Patented June 7, 1932 J r 'QSCAR E. MILtEIaoF summon, NEBRASKA p 1 GRAIN HANDLI G MAcHI-Nn;

Application filed July 22,

Thisin'vention relates to an agricultural apparatus and machine for handling grain, and it has more particular reference to a con vertible structure which is susceptible of di versified'usage, especially adaptedifor handling grain harvested by the well known combine method which, as is well understood, usually ripens unevenly and consequently re quires special conditioning. r

Otlierw'sestated, it' is an Iobj ect of the present invention to provide a practical and economical labor saving machine for drying and elevating and otherwise handling grain, audit is especially adapted for handling grain-harvested by the combine method which usually ripens' unevenand leaves hi'gh moisture content in the: grain.

- One of theessent'ial featuresfof this novel 'contributionto the art is the fan-equipped "2O blower and its especially designed housing, the physical properties of which are suchas to permit thedevice to be adaptedto fulfill several distinguishable purposes as will be hereinafter explained; e a a More specifically stated, one, conception of the invention comprehends the provision of abase frame of appropriate constructionhaving detachable'and adjustable standards'provided with hearings to accommodate a duplex journal and bearing construction which'permitsthe housing-of the blowertofbe adjusted withrespect to the relativelystationary support for disposing the peripheral eduction conduit in various angular positions.

. Numerous other points of interest, structural features and advantages producing commercially acceptable results will, become more readily apparent from the following description and drawings. 7

1 30 semi No. eazsiqf i Figure 3 is a view'in section and elevation showing a feed hopper associated with the blower for grain elevating-purposes.

through the blower itself.

1 Figure 5 is adetail cross sectiono'n'the line 88 ofFigure'in T Fig'uret is a sectional and; elevational view 1-:

The convertible blower comprises, aicbmposite structure-which is generally "repre sented throughout the drawings by thenucircular hollow housing or casing 10 having a peripheral 'conduitll projecting laterally from one side thereof at apredetermined l v o5 v point. n e In the back wall isan air intake portflZL Below this and concentrically arranged is a;

bearing socket -13; "Incidentally it twill be noted that-the port 12"is" flocated inlclo'se' proximity to the outlet .or eductionconduit V 11- and'eccentri'cally with respect'to the fea ture 13. Concentrically arranged on 'thei op- I posite side wall of the hou sing'is a main ma terial inlet F g 2 A r The internal bladed rotor is denotedzus'a unit by the numeral 15. It comprises'a generally represented I 1" spider-like hub 16, the arms of'whi'ch'are at? tached to the especially fashioned blades.

There are four of thes-eblades and each-blade" comprises a relatively wide outer end portion 17 constituting a propelling'element and-an inner reduced shank'portion-18 fastenedto the adjacent army of the spider. Thatedge k of each blade located in proximity *to-the opening 12 is formed with 7a 'lateral flange 19 whose proportions and singularity mayibe slightly varied to suit c onditions.

At-this-point I desire to mention the S1115;

porting-base 20-which i'shere shown asfcomprising a pair of spaced parallelrails21 and 22 connected together throughi the medium of transverse cross pieces :23 and24crespectively. Standards25 and'26 areiattachedto the crosspieces. Each standard comprises a" right angular attachingfoot27; detachahly* boltedlin:placeandan up ight 28 havinga bearing c0llan29 at itsupper endin As'showin" in Figure 2, a tubula editin shaft 30 ismounted for oscillationinjthe :1

I mera'l'9. As shown it comprisesa somewhat bearingsf29, the shaft extending into and integrally connected with the socket 13, so

that it'isadjustable as a unit with the blower.

'Located in this shaft are bushings 31 form ing bearings for the solid propeller shaft 32.

" The outer end of thisshaft 32 is provided 7 with a pulley or equivalent power supply mounted on the aforesaid .r-ailsofthe base structureand carrying an appropriately conmeans 33. r 7' on The inner end of shaft 32 projects into the housing and is fastened tofthe aforesaid spider, whereby to propel the bladed rotor. Particular attention is called to this arrange;

ment which permits the housing and its "associated shaft 30 to be adjusted as aunit independently of the propeller shaft and pulley. The main purpose of this arrangement will be made evident later in; the description.

.In usingthis assembly for grain elevating purposesyI call attention to v Figure .3,Lwhe1 -ein it will be noted that the numeral 34 repre sents a suitable supporting frame 'removably structed material containing hopper 35. The

hopperis provided at its dischargelend with I- verticalv guides 36 accommodating a slidable shutter -31.

permits the hopper to be arranged i iii-communicating relationship with the cenfi tralized concentric grain intake 14 so that when the device is set in operation the" grain will'belifted b-y'th e blower intoan appro- 'priate storage bin, collection 'thelikelnot shown), Y i By reversing the 7 standard arrangement and positioning the device against' -a grain receptacle or containing shied, bin or the like 38, asshown in Figure 1, the identical structure" may be employed for. extracting or removing material from the shed'38. V I V Particularly do}; wish to emphasize this interchangeable and reversiblerelationship of parts permitting this double'usage of the identical structure for almost reverse poseS.; or 7 v The means by-whichfthe blower houslng 1s held secure atfany desired angle is obtained such adjustment canibe I by the U-clamp 43 extending around the b iblower housing. If the eduction pipe of the blower is desired "at any particular location,

loosening the U -clan'1p. 1

' Itwill also be noticed that there is a between'theshaft andthe enter wallfof the tubular bearing. 'This space is used as a V pocketitocontain lubricant andfwill feed such luhricant't'o the'high speed bearings.-

To further aid the efficiency arm blower elevator I have locatedthe air intake atthe point just p'ast the eduction' which is very important; in: order to get the maximum calie pacity with a mini mum amount of poweix'j If the airintakewere located at any other location onthe blower housing it canbe easily accomplished by understood that the space, between the educ- '7 tion and the air intake would be dead space.

Theair as it enters this: air port has the i entire circumference of the blower to' travel,

consequently by the time it reaches the .educ-V tion or the point where it comes in contact r with the grain it willhave attaineda ver high velocitythereby blowingthe vgrain at the same time the fan blades come in contact with such grain which adds greatly to the capaucity of .elev'ationand also further reduces the possibility ofcracking the. grain by the whipping prpounding of the fan blades.

Furthermore, there is'less air pressure at the'zpoint of'location as the nearer the air reached the eduction the greater will be the air pressure due to the centrifugal force and velocity of the air Consequently it is-easily understood that if the intake were located at any other point.,for near the eduction it would .reducefthe airfpressure and cut the efliciency of the blower. I 7

, Another object in view locating the air I at this particular point just past the eduction or discharge is to concentrate all theajir gat the extreme circumference of the hlowerwitha" uniform air pressure when it'comes in c ontact consequentlythere beinga greatysaving of p power inconcentratingthe air'and" giving it jnstas muchdistance to travel before it comes in contact with the grain as the greater the distanceany object has to travel to attain a given velocity the less power is required to move it. p I

Owingrto the nam the in which I have designed to usei-n connection with hlower drier elevator it isveryimportant thatthe air intakeb'elocated'on the. side opposite'lwhere the grain entersthefan compartment. The fan blades" areso'designd as to serve a compound purpose. The edgethat is bent forward in the way ofrotation serves as'a suction blade drawing the 'air the 7 fan compartment at thecair intake and-the" "outer end of said blade being flat whichserves as an impeller fan blade.) v i is alsobent forwardly and thisserves as a reinforcement to the blade. You will also notice that the flat portion of the fan" blades are below' the opening through which'the grain} enters the fan; The object in view is I to permit the grain to enter the fan compart V mentasfa r from the center as possible. Fur- .thermore, by designing thefan blades this manner it reduces the resistance in moving the air and grain. I

During experiments I have found that a blower with my compound fan as described and illustrated has a capacity of approximately forty per cent more than a fan with a straight flat blade cut on an angle from the center and extending to the outer portion of the blade. By locating the air intake opposite to where the grain enters it will be easily, 7 understood that the edge bent forward ,never comes in contact with any grain. i

It is clearly understood that the grain is preferably taken into the fan compartment or blower housing at the center. The grain will strike the rim of the blower at a given'point regardless of the angle to which the eduction is placed. Consequently it is very-important to locate the eduction pipe at such a point as to receive the grain direct into the throat of. said eduction as it leaves the blades of the:

fan.

This feature of tiltingthe blower is indispensable for the elevation of grain that is easily cut or cracked such as corn, maize, etc.,

and by tilting the blowerasillustrated the cracking of grain is 'reducedto aminimum. It has been considered heretofore that the fan within a blower isresponsiblefor the cracking of grain :in elevating by airblast. This is true to a certain extent but" the primary cause for cracking grain is based on the fact that as the grain. leaves the fan blades;

it has a high velocity and willistrike therim of the blower a hard blow'retarding the grain and at the'same time permitting the fan to strike the grain by the extreme ends of the 'blades'until it has again attained the velocity of the fan and air..

' On the other hand, ifthe eduction pipe. were located at the point the grain would enter the eductionby the'centrifugal-force of the fan and velocity of the air and never crack any grain. This feature is accomplished by looseningthe 'U-clamp and adjusting to the desired point on which I claim invention.

The tilting means of my blower isnecesl sary to serve all purposes requiredtosuccess fully handle all kinds of grain. It isunderstood that wheat'harves ted by a combine if somewhat green or immature will contain a fan and thenecessity of the .tilting device can be very easily understood. Toremove hulls, beards, etc., the fan must pound the r grain and to incorporatethe feature of elimi- .nating the cracking andpounding of grain.

that is easily cracked the same is accom', -plished byadjusting the angle of the blower eduction in relation tothe point in which the grain strikes the rim of the blower asit leaves the fan on which I claim invention.

It is thought that persons'skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the. description in connec- V i tionwith the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description'is regarded I as unnecessary.

arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice if desired.

' I claimz- Minor changes in shape, size, *and re A blower apparatus of the'class described comprising a' circular casing having flat sides wlth a concentric openlng 1n one side, acyllndrical part attached to said side of the casing.

and surrounding-the opening,.a' shaft extending into the casing from the oppositeside with the opening concentric to the shaft '95.

and :said opposite. side of the'casing having a small air openingtherein arranged above r lar shaft supported for sliding and rotaryv movement in the bearing, hearings in the tubular shaft for the first mentioned shaft 1 which passes through the tubular shaft and means for connecting one end of the tubular shaft to thecasing and means for connecting the casing with one; of the uprights.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

r .osoAR MILLER. F

large percentage of white caps1(commonly called hulls) and these hulls or white caps can be removed inmy blower elevator as the Ieduction pipe can be tilted to a preferred a angle as described and illustrated permitting the grain to strike the rim of the blower retarding the grain and 'allowing the fan to pound and hammer the grain thereby removing the bulls or white caps and blowing them V out in elevation. 7

All beards on barley can be removed in like manner which would be impossible if such grain entered the eduction pipe as it left the 

